This is from Matt Chandler on the topic “Missional” which is a hugely popular term that has in the last year almost died the death of a thousand definitions. Somehow the term seems a bit trendy and I do wander if it’s derived from Pipers “Wartime lifestyle” doctrine? Anyways for a fascinating few minutes investigate Missional searches from google trends.
The following from Matt’s blog gives a very clear definition of what it means.
A great start is by discussing with other believers how you can use your daily routines for the gospel. In the book “Total Church” (which I recommend to anyone who is a Home Group or Small Group leader), Steve Timmis and Tim Chester encourage people to imagine that they are a part of a church planting team in a cross-cultural situation in some other part of the world and answer the following questions:
* What criteria would you use to decide where to live?
* How would you approach secular employment?
* What standard of living would you expect as a pioneer missionary?
* What would you spend your time doing?
* What opportunities to share the gospel would you be looking for?
* What would your prayers be like?
* What would you be trying to do with your new friends?
* What kind of team would you want around you?
* How would you conduct your meetings together?
Their point is that we tend to think of missional living as something that just missionaries in foreign countries do instead of what we should all be doing. Spend time answering these questions, and I’ll see you this weekend.
Penuel 